Being creative with my vintage akoya pearls

[Guy]

Greetings all,

I first visited Pearl Guide back in 2017 and certainly was a novice. Have come to recognize quality and types of pearls in the subsequent years by reading the posts and making a few posts of inquiry of my own. What a brilliant resource this site is . Thank you.

So today I wanted to acknowledge this appreciation and share a photo of what I do with the various vintage akoya pearls I acquire. So enjoy wearing pearls.

Here is a photo of one of the reworked pearl strings. As you see I mix up size as well as hue of the vintage akoya pearls and then mingle them with assorted beads from Roman/Greek antiquity that I collect.
The necklaces invariably catch people's eyes and rave compliments follow.

It's taken time but thanks to being educated here I can recognize that special luster that makes certain pearls stand out from others. Just because a string of pearls is vintage doesn't mean it's got that special something but every now and then I come upon one that has the "wow" factor and what a delightful experience it is to come upon those forgot and overlooked treasures.

Wishing all a brilliantly Happy Valentine's Day.
Cheers, Guy

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Lovely! Thank you for sharing!

 

[Guy]

You're welcome Pearl Dreams. Thank you for the praise.
I truly enjoy the visual of wearing pearls and the energy they radiate, they just feel good.
Decided to get creative with colours by adding my own signature with the ancient beads, adventures in pearls .
There is something satisfying/rewarding about reinventing/reviving the life of vintage pearls.
Cheers, Guy

 

[ennui]

Why am I picturing Greece ... must be the colors.
Very cool necklace!

 

[Merrily]

You have a really good eye for color balance!

 

[Guy]

Why am I picturing Greece ... must be the colors.
Very cool necklace!

Thank you, indeed yes there is a boldness of Mediterranean colours. Cheers, Guy

 

[Guy]

You have a really good eye for color balance!

Thank you Merrily, appreciate the compliment. Point of fact I did ace colour theory in college .
Cheers, Guy

 

[pattye]

Delightful designs, Guy, I'm sure you receive lots of compliments, comments and questions!

 

[Guy]

Good morning Pattye,

Appreciate the praise. Yes, I do receive a good many compliments.

The necklaces certainly are one of a kind given I use vintage pearls that sing to me and the ancient beads from my collection.

Being a child of the 1960's I do still enjoy sporting beads, even if they are from antiquity ha ha.

The quintessential epitome of recycling. I've seen reconstructed necklaces from antiquity and they often mixed pearls with various beads of glass, carnelian, turquoise, gold, and such. So I am just reviving the look.

Cheers, Guy

 

[BWeaves]

I like it! But I like gemstones and pearls strung together. It's a great jeans and a T shirt necklace.

 

[Guy]

Much appreciated BWeaves, thank you.

Yes indeed a casual look, with a dash of sporty panache.

Fun being creative be it with ancient beads or in your case gemstones, both creative and produce a unique look.

I prefer the softness of the ancient beads both visually and practically, less scratch as I do not knot the pearls.

Also too a number of decades ago I acquired a beautiful assortment of ancient beads from a archeological dig from Roman antiquity. A good marriage with the vintage pearls.

Reviving beautiful items from the past is very satisfying. No longer discarded and lost in time.

Cheers, Guy

 

[pattye]

"Being a child of the 1960's I do still enjoy sporting beads, even if they are from antiquity ha ha."


Yes, Guy, I know all about the '60's

 

[BWeaves]

I didn't realized these were ancient beads. My eyes skipped that sentence and went straight to the photos. Now I love the necklace even more!

 

[Guy]

Much to be said for longevity ...and the 1960's were a time of remarkable cultural transformation. I still wear patchouli .

 

[Guy]

I didn't realized these were ancient beads. My eyes skipped that sentence and went straight to the photos. Now I love the necklace even more

 

[Guy]

It's really an amazing vibe- sporting beautiful vintage akoya pearls and ancient beads that are several thousand years old. Puts the universe into perspective -

 

[Guy]

Thanks to everyone for sharing such lovely thoughts on my "Being creative...." post.

Last month I had a full necklace of ancient beads break as I took it out of my jewelry box (fortunately).

So I'll be stringing them with some mid-range vintage akoya pearl necklaces that I have. Actually, I've another vintage akoya pearl necklace in the mail, so I'll have a nice assortment of pearls to choose from. Invariably on vintage strands there are some pearls that are not as lustrous as others.

A fun project . I'll share the results when completed.

Cheers, Guy

 

[Guy]

Postscript - I also string vintage coral with vintage pearls. Do enjoy being creative with pearls and never lack for a necklace or two to sport around with .

Cheers, Guy